Archive for
September 6th, 2012

Pop star Justin Timberlake, who has Memphis roots, has agreed to become a limited partner in Robert Pera’s bid to buy the Memphis Grizzlies, a source close to Pera confirmed Thursday night.

Pera, a 34-year-old Silicon Valley entrepreneur, agreed in June to buy the Grizzlies from Michael Heisley. His bid continues to undergo vetting by the NBA and is pending approval from the league’s owners.

Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has elevated Gersson Rosas to the title of Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. Rosas will also continue his duties as General Manager for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, which is Houston’s single-affiliation NBA Development League partner.

“Gersson is one of the best basketball evaluators and executives in the NBA,” said Morey. “He has been key to the success we have had in the draft and all personnel moves during his tenure. He is one of the fastest rising executives in the industry. We are thrilled with this move.”

Rosas enters his ninth season with the Houston Rockets and his first as Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations. He moves into his current role after working the last three seasons (2009-12) as Vice President of Player Personnel. In 2008-09, Rosas served as Houston’s Director of Player Personnel after working one campaign as the team’s Director of Scouting and three seasons as the team’s Personnel Scout/Video Coordinator.

In his new position, Rosas will assists Morey in all basketball operations of the franchise and will be responsible for the team’s player personnel matters, including the evaluation of draft prospects, free agents and potential trade targets. In addition, he will continue overseeing domestic and international scouting, while also assisting in the coordination of the team’s Player Development program.

In his three seasons as Rio Grande Valley’s GM, the Vipers took home the 2009-10 D-League championship, reached back-to-back D-League Finals, compiled a 91-59 (.607) regular season record and have had nine players earn All-NBA D-League honors. In 2011-12, Rio Grande Valley center Greg Smith was named to the 2011-12 All-NBA D-League First Team and the 2011-12 D-League All-Rookie First Team. Center Jeff Adrien was also named the 2010-11 D-League Impact Player of the Year as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Vipers forward Mike Harris was named the 2009-10 NBA D-League’s Most Valuable Player, while then-Head Coach Chris Finch took home the 2009-10 Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award. In addition, Rio Grande Valley broke the NBA D-League single-season record for Call-Ups to the NBA in 2009-10 with 10, including Mike Harris, Garrett Temple and Will Conroy signing with the Rockets.

The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have signed free agents Sam Young, Sundiata Gaines and Blake Ahearn to contracts. Until reported otherwise, we assume these are training camp signings, and these players must still fight to earn a regular season contract. We will update this page when new info arrives.

Young is a 6-6 small forward/shooting guard who has played three NBA seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers. He has career averages of 6.6 points per game and 1.8 rebounds per game. He was a second-round pick (36 th overall) of the Grizzlies in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Gaines is a 6-1 point guard who was undrafted out of Georgia in 2008. He has played with Utah, Minnesota, Toronto and New Jersey with career averages of 5.1 ppg and 2.2 assists per game. He has played 113 games in the NBA. Ahearn was undrafted in 2007 after playing at Missouri State. A 6-2 guard, Ahearn has 19 games NBA experience with Miami, San Antonio and Utah with a career average of 2.5 ppg. He has also played in Europe and the NBA D-League where in 2011-12 he was the league’s leading scorer at 23.8 ppg. He is also the D-League’s all-time leader in points.

The Denver Nuggets have signed second-round draft pick Quincy Miller to a multiyear contract, executive vice president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri announced today.

Miller, 6-9, 210, was the 38th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft after being named the 2011-12 Big 12 Co-Freshman of the Year at Baylor University. He averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 37 games while helping the Bears reach the Elite Eight at the 2012 NCAA Tournament.

Miller, 19, played for Denver at the 2012 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, averaging 6.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games.

With Miller’s addition, the Nuggets now have 15 players on their roster.

The Utah Jazz announced today that Michael Sanders has been promoted to an assistant coach on Tyrone Corbin’s staff, after having spent the 2011-12 season as assistant coach/player development. In a related move, the Jazz has also agreed in principle with veteran NBA Development League coach, and former Jazz scout, Brad Jones to assume Sanders’ previous position as assistant coach/player development.

“Moving Mike from player development to the bench is a promotion that he has earned. His strong work ethic and skillset, coupled with his experience as a former player and coach in the NBA and D-League, has proven to be valuable to our franchise and I look forward to working with him closer in his enhanced role,” said Utah Jazz Head Coach Tyrone Corbin. “Brad is a well-respected and recognized young coaching talent with a proven track-record of player development. We are very happy to be bringing him back to the Jazz family.”

A veteran of the coaching ranks, Sanders recently completed his first season with the Jazz and has previously served as an assistant coach in the NBA for Detroit, Milwaukee and Charlotte. He originally began his coaching career in 1998 as an assistant coach with the Wisconsin Blast of the International Basketball Association (IBA) before becoming head coach of the IBA’s Black Hills Gold for the 1999-2000 season. In 2000-01 he then became head coach of the United States Basketball League (USBL)’s Washington Congressionals. In 2000-01 Sanders joined the Detroit Pistons an assistant coach.

The following season he joined the D-League’s Asheville Altitude, where he would spend four years as an assistant coach and director of player personnel, helping to lead the franchise to D-League championships in 2004 and 2005. During his time with the Altitude, Sanders also spent three offseasons with the USBL’s Adirondack Wildcats as the team’s head coach (2002-2004). In 2005, Sanders returned to the NBA, joining the Milwaukee Bucks staff as an assistant coach for two seasons. He then served as an assistant coach and advance scout with the Charlotte Bobcats for the 2007-08 campaign.

Prior to his coaching career, Sanders played 11 seasons in the NBA for four teams – San Antonio (1982-83), Phoenix (1983-88), Cleveland (1987-89, ’91-93) and Indiana (1989-92). Originally selected in the fourth round (74th overall) of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Kansas City Kings, Sanders appeared in 648 career games (209 starts) and averaged 8.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 19.1 minutes.

Jones returns to the Jazz after spending the previous two seasons as head coach of the San Antonio Spurs-owned Austin Toros of the D-League. Jones led the Toros to a D-League Championship this past season, defeating the L.A. D-Fenders two games to one in the D-League Finals.

Prior to his time with the Toros, Jones previously spent three seasons as the original head coach of the D-League’s Utah Flash (2007-10). As a D-League expansion team, the Flash enjoyed a successful inaugural campaign under Jones finishing the 2007-08 season with a 24-26 mark. A year later the Jones guided the Flash to a 32-18 record and advanced them to the 2009 D-League Finals. The Flash posted a 28-22 record in 2009-10, making a second straight playoff appearance.

During his five-year D-League coaching career, Jones had eight different players under his tutelage called-up up to the NBA a total of 13 times, and also had 12 different NBA players assigned by their respective teams to work with him on a total of 14 D-League assignments.

Prior to joining the Flash, Jones served as a regional scout for the Utah Jazz for six years (2001-2007). Jones also served as the head coach at Lambuth University in Jackson, Tenn., from 1995-2001. During his tenure at the helm of the Eagles he was twice named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year and led the school to a pair of conference championships.

The Orlando Magic have signed free agent guard E’Twaun Moore, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today.

Moore (6’4”, 191, 2/25/89) played in 38 games during his rookie campaign last season with Boston, averaging 2.9 ppg. in 8.7 minpg. He scored a career-high 16 points, including four three-pointers on Jan. 26 @ Orlando. Moore also appeared in nine playoff outings.

Originally selected in the second round (55th overall) by Boston in the 2011 NBA Draft, Moore appeared in 140 games (136 starts) during his four-year collegiate career at Purdue University, averaging 15.3 ppg., 4.4 rpg., 2.9 rpg. and 1.17 stlpg in 32.3 minpg. He led the Boilermakers in scoring for three straight seasons (2007-10), was named First Team All-Big Ten twice (2009-10, 2010-11) and Second Team All-Big Ten twice (2007-08, 2008-09).

During his senior season (2010-11), Moore played and started in 34 games, averaging 18.0 ppg., 5.1 rpg.3.2 rpg. and 1.21 stlpg. in 33.9 minpg. As a junior (2009-10), he became the first player in 20 years to lead Purdue in both scoring and assists. In 2007-08, Moore became the first true freshman ever to lead the Boilermakers in scoring.

After 11 NBA seasons as a popular and quirky figure as a player, Brian Scalabrine said his playing career is likely over.

Scalabrine told Yahoo! Sports he has turned down a chance to stay with the Chicago Bulls as an assistant coach and has agreed to broadcast 11 early season Boston Celtics games for Comcast Sports New England on what he called “a trial run.”

Scalabrine had wanted to play another season in the NBA, but conceded, “There was zero interest [in me]. Not some, but zero.”

The Atlanta Hawks have signed rookie forward Mike Scott to a contract, according to President of Basketball Operations/GM Danny Ferry.

Scott was selected by Atlanta in the second round (43rd overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.

According to the Atlanta Journal Constitution, “Scott signed a two-year contract for the minimum salary that includes some guarantees, according to Hawks GM Danny Ferry. The minimum salary for 2012-13 is $473,604. “Mike will be on the team this year,” Ferry wrote in a text message.”

The 6’8 forward earned First Team All-ACC honors as a senior at Virginia after averaging 18.0 ppg, 8.3 rpg and 1.2 apg (.563 FG%, .808 FT%). He ranks third in school history in rebounds (944) and double-doubles (34), while finishing 16th in points scored (1,538).

Scott was born July 16, 1988 in Chesapeake, Virginia, and attended Deep Creek High School. He will wear number 32.